Contemporary Halakhic Problems (review)

148 SHOFAR should abstain from all sexual activity. Second, it is striking that Jewish mystics should so extol the virtues of domestic life and value conjugal relations with their wives so highly. One might expect that the natural tendency of the mystic would be to withdraw from physical relationships in order to be able to concentrate on mystic contemplation and spiritual growth. The kabbalists' stress on the necessity and importance of conjugal relations and their incorporation of them into their theosophical system would seem to be an instance of making a virtue of necessity, i.e., the need to oppose the Christian view which valued abstinence and 'celibacy more highly than marriage and sexual relations. Aside from his other achievements in this work, Cohen has laid to rest the notion that the blame for the environmental crisis of our time can be laid at the feet of the Judeo-Christian heritage. Whenever the notion did develop, it was certainly not before the Reformation. Finally, the author has demonstrated the value of scholarly research, based on a thorough knowledge of the sources in their original languages and the necessity of reading these sources on their own terms and in their own contexts. One can only hope that the art the author has herein demonstrated will never be lost. Barry Walfish University of Toronto Library Contemporary Halakhic Problems, Vol. III, by J. David Bleich. Hoboken, NJ: KTAV Publishing House, 1989. 413 pp. $29.50 (c); $19.95 (p). "... the views presented in the discussion included in this volume are not intended to constitute a final and definitive statement of the Halakhah." So states Rabbi Bleich in his Introduction. So ofwhat purpose is the book? But first we must ask, "Why hedge? Make a definitive statement and be done with it!" The answer is that these are serious, difficult questions about which not only reasonable men, but great rabbis will differ. The Halakha will qepend upon a majority consensus that may take generations to reach, at which point the very basis of the question might have changed. This is hardly an option for one considering a heart transplant! That is why this book deals with broad principles rather than specific cases. The alternative to seeking a consensus is to discuss the issue with your own rabbi (who may then refer to his rabbi) and follow his ruling. The details of this procedure may well be the subject of a book of its own. But to return to the first question. Who should read this work? The answer is anybody with an interest in the workings of Jewish Law or an interest in the Halakhic perspective on such pressing contemporary issues as nuclear Volume 10, No.2 Winter 1992 149 warfare, artificial heart implantation, animal experimentation, and physicians ' strikes. Topics of purely Jewish concern include Women's minyanim, artificial feeding on Yom Kippur, and the question of the "kosher pig." As a scientist I never fail to be impressed by how closely Halakhic and experimental research resemble each other. Imaginative questions are raised, clever answers are offered, novel hypotheses are put forth, and the whole , tested against the available data. In science, new data are generated byadditional experiments. In Jewish law, the Talmud and other ancient sources are probed to find relevant precedents to the problems at hand. In both fields a long time often passes before a consensus is reached, and frequently there are respected holdouts against the majority view who cannot simply be dismissed out of hand. In a sense, there are even theoretical and applied halakhists even as there are the theoretical and applied scientists. And of course there are many surprises along the way. Take.heart transplants as a case in point. Let us ignore the contentious issue of under what conditions it is permissible to remove the donor's heart. And let us assume (correctly) that in most cases the recipient will gain years of productive life. The question can still be raised: does the recipient die in the interval between removing his heart and replacing it with the donor's? At first glance, the question is only of theoretical interest. But in fact it has practical implications regarding...